Group Session: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

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Want more opinions than just our review? See what other IGN editors think of Naughty Dog's sequel.

By IGN Staff

The long wait is almost over as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves hits stores this coming Tuesday, October 13th. You've likely already read our written review and watched our video review for the game, but that was just the opinion of the esteemed Chris Roper (with secondary thoughts from the legendary Greg Miller). But what about everyone else in the IGN office?

We received a handful of copies of the game earlier this week and there's been a long waiting list to borrow a copy. So now that a number of folks in the office have played a good portion of it (and in some cases have even finished it), we thought we'd compile all of their thoughts and let you know what more editors think of Naughty Dog's latest.

Ryan Clements I'll be honest: I was a tremendous fan of the original Uncharted, so I'm already in a fairly good position to enjoy Uncharted 2. With that said, I was still blown away by the opening of the game, as Naughty Dog has once again demonstrated its mastery of videogame cinematics. I've always appreciated a grandiose production and that's exactly what Uncharted 2 is.

Although I've only just scratched the surface of the Among Thieves experience, I can already tell that this could be one of the finest third-person action/adventure games ever made. Controlling Drake is a pristine, almost ethereal affair, as his reactions and movements are tied so brilliantly with your inputs they feel almost unreal. Yet "realism" is a key word in Uncharted 2, as the visuals and sound design are among the best the PS3 has to offer. Putting aside the game's astounding character animations, just admiring the detail in the massive environments is a treat. Those visuals are complemented by the finest voice work around. Nolan North and the rest of the phenomenal cast lend a feeling of authenticity to everything on screen, as they quite literally "speak life" into the characters.

I can already tell I'm in for a mind-blowing experience. Even the stealth section at the beginning of the game, which several of my peers have leveled complaints against, felt great. The intelligent level design, mixed with exciting gunplay, is all I could ask for. I can't wait to play more.

Caleb Lawson I am a huge fan of the first Uncharted, so my expectations were set unreasonably high for this sequel. I'm happy to say that Uncharted 2 not only met, but easily exceeded these expectations. It's everything a sequel should be, taking the core aspects that made the first game so good, and cranking everything up to 11. Naughty Dog hasn't mucked around with the formula at all, and while this is a huge plus to fans of the original, the three of you out there who didn't like Drake's Fortune probably won't dig Among Thieves – and it's your loss.

From the characters, to the story, to the setting, Uncharted 2's presentation is off-the-charts spectacular (Hideo Kojima take note, THIS is how you make a cinematic game). Most impressively, though, is how the epic scale that is established in the narrative translates to the gameplay. This game is a blast to play. The environments are expansive, and although the game is still extremely linear, the paths you follow to get from point A to B are so well designed that you feel like you are exploring significantly more than you are. The climbing and platforming were my favorite parts of the first game, but they pale in comparison to what Uncharted 2 gives us. I haven't had this much fun platforming since the old days of fuzzy mascots and mustachioed plumbers.

Of course Uncharted 2 has its faults, especially towards the end. Even the beautiful scenery of the final locations couldn't distract me from the tedium of dispatching wave after wave of enemies before walking ten feet and repeating the process. However, this is a small gripe, and is easily outweighed by the rest of the experience. Although I just finished the game last night, I'm already twitching to start my Hard playthrough and dive into multiplayer. Nathan Drake should have a pretty easy time muscling his way to the top of my Game of the Year list.